McAlpine

1/4oz terminator T-1 in white/silver. However Rapala/terminator have stopped producing a 1/4oz. Stupidity! That size with their blades can be worked at just the right speed. Now I have to find a new spinnerbait manufacturer. Bummer for me, plus they lost a dedicated customer. Awesome bait if you can find any.

Well...I want one! But not for 5 hundo bones. I'm with RC, hopefully there will be deals on the old MGX now. ;-)

The BPS Carbon Black is one of the best bang for the buck reels ever produced. Unfortunately they stopped making them last year. The JM reels are still pretty darn good but the price is getting up there to compete with some pretty good reels.

The BPS Carbonlite is probably the best $100 rod made. Very light, very sensitive, good backbone,great tip. A real deal.

My Minn Kota trolling motor. I can't remember the model but it's an 80lb thrust with the gps auto pilot. This tool changed my fishing more than anything I have ever purchased. Tons of power and it almost runs itself. Awesome!

PQ. Totally rule out the KVD. The signature series reel is.....well...you already have it so you'll find out. I would take it back. Good luck.

I have both plus a Revo stx. The smoke is an incredible reel, the only detractor is a limit to the cast control settings. I think they have corrected this in the new model. Otherwise, this reel is incredible. The MGX on the other hand is the greatest reel I have held. It's also $100 more than a smoke so I'm not sure it's fair to compare them. Out of all the reels I have though the Revo STX(not the SX), is by far the greatest quality for the price reel I have ever owned. Good luck, you can't go wrong with any of these. The only limiter is what you want to pay .

Oh my, I had blocked this PoS out of my memory. I bought one of those on some 75% off sale or something. Took it out of the box and put it on a rod, strung it up. Just trying to set the reel up I could tell it was absolutely horrible. Back in the box and back to the store for a refund.

The carbonlite rods at sub $100 pricing fish like much more expensive rods. However; if you look around you should be able to find a Smoke spinning rod on sale for $100 or less. If you can find one cheap, these are a great deal for that price, they just dont seem to sell well at their original price and always seem to go on sale but they are very nice.

Ok, as I am sitting here with cabin fever working on reels, restringing rods, organizing the boxes, putting spare baits up and organized..... I run into "the reel". This dad-blasted Browning Midas spinning reel. The reel that has the worst drag on the planet. The reel that the drag locked up on and ripped a shakey head hook through the flesh of a 6lb'er in a tournament instead of giving out some line. The reel I paid about $100 bucks for when Browning first signed their BPS deal with the devil and I still trusted the name. The reel I hate. As I sit here pulling line out and testing the drag I can see it catch and then give catch and give with each line pull. Horrible. I figured I could at least look to my brothers here for equal horror stories, maybe I'll feel better if I'm not the only one. So, I'm not looking for; "Shimano is the best - No, Abu is the best". I want to know what you bought that you paid too much for. The thing you hate. The thing that is terrible. The gear that gives you a pit of your stomach hatred every time you remember you have it. ;-) this should be fun!

Since starting to fish tournaments in the last two years I think that my partner would tell you that my greatest strength is my ability to call on the truly obnoxious amount of knowledge I have acquired over the years to read the light level, air temperature, time of year, wind conditions, barometric pressure, prevailing weather patterns and water temperature to determine where the fish are and what mood they are in....then proceed to throw a Terminator T-1 white and silver 1/4oz spinner bait all day anyway.

Thanks to Jeremyt for a really outstanding Christmas present. I have always wanted to get in on the megabass craze but have never allowed myself to pick one up. I can't wait to try this pop-x. The Roboworms and Senko's are great. Both are worms that I just started fishing in the last year and I have become a big fan of both. Wow, winter can't get over fast enough.

I'm torn on the subject. I think it would be fun to fish against a touring pro to see how I do on the same water the same day comparitively . However; if I were serious about trying to bust out of the amature ranks and a guy came in and blasted everyone trying to get points or a local win as a berth to move up, it would definitly rankle me a bit.

smokin deal, thanks man!

You got a fine deal on the PQ MH/F 7' combo. Keep it as a jig rod and now go find a crankbait rod. :-P

Keep the Loomis rods and go enjoy them!

Roboworms are money. Luckily my local BPS has a great selection.

Surprise(s): Xcalibur squarebills. I have caught so many large fish the last two springs using these that it simply boggles the mind. I had never used a squarebill before spring two years ago. Stupid BPS green watermellon 3" senko knock off. First off, I live near a BPS. Moved to an area where my wife is from about 5 years ago and they built the BPS about 4 years ago. My dad came to visit when they first built the BPS and he was sooooo excited to go there. So, we took a trip and going through the whole place he only bought a couple things. One of which was this stupid little box of green watermellon 3" BPS branded fake senko's. All he could talk about was how he was going to go home to the lake he lived on and just slay them with this stupid little do nothing worm. Now, at the time I had never fished a senko and only knew of these as the late night commercial "wacky-worm". To me it was junk, it was silly, I told him "yeah they look great"...hey, he's my dad...what else was I to say? Well, in the spring a year ago my dad passed away. My step brother and sister dont fish so I ended up with the takle boxes. Going through dad's stuff was good and bad and well, it was what it was. And....there were those stupid worms...but I just had to throw them in my box remembering the trip we had when he got them. My first trip out of the year after he passed I was with a good friend on a small local lake that I had never fished. We happened upon a shallow area where I could see a bunch of small bass cruising. However; everything I threw at them either spooked them or they totally ignored. I was running through my head, what could I possibly have in my box that would work? I was thinking, slow fall rate, small bait, needs some movement...hey, what about those stupid green worms? Well, what the heck. So I opened up my drop shot box and got out a small octopus hook and *gasp* rigged one of those 3" worms wacky style. First cast BAM, bass. Second cast, BAM bass. Third cast, BAM bass. Then I started tossing worms to my buddy. We went from fishless that day to boating around 50 bass, all on those stick-o's. Not big fish, maybe 2lb's top's but unbelieveable fun. I bought myself some more of those little greenie's and have caught unnumbered small bass on them when the day is slow. Thanks dad.

Sounds like a hoot. Dont think I have 200 posts as I generally lurk but I'll shoot you a PM.

I would do as stated above. Take the right side off of the reel and check out the gears that connect between the reel handle pinion (big gear) and the smaller gears that it drives. If you cann't take the side off of this reel to check that out then just chuck it and go get a new reel. As also stated above, these are actually made to be disposable rather than repaired but I would give it a shot.

I just got my revo stx and used it for the first time in our club's classic a couple weekends ago. My gosh I love that reel already. I was hitting 3-4lb's up shallow with a spinner bait and that reel just flat turned their heads and pulled them up to the boat. It's like a warn winch.

The weight savings alone is not the only reason to buy an MGX. I'm sure the new carbonlite is a very good reel for the money. However; even as an owner of several carbon black's and JM"s, I gaurantee you that there will be a night and day difference between the new CL and an MGX. An MGX is a work of bloody art. Trust me on this. And if you want one, go hit ebay. You can get one for about $250 in the box.

Between the two get the patriarch. It's a great reel and under-appreciated. However; if it were me for $100 ea I would buy both.

Last year fishing a farm pond with a 1/32 oz jig head with a small spinner (beetle spin size) with a small twister tail grub on it I had a huge hit and set the hook. But it just came right out after the hook bent and straighted out. Re-bent my hook, cast in the same spot, another huge hit but ended up getting him in. 5 1/2 lbs. The fish was so big and the hook so small that I think the first hit got him in the lip which is all bone. Yes you can catch very large bass on very small baits. You just have to put it in their face.

We are students at Burlington High school in Iowa, and we are doing a survey for our engineering class. 1. What do you usually take when you go fishing? More equipment than any one person has a right to probably have. Plus boat, truck, etc. 2. How far do you have to walk to get to your fishing spot? Depends. 90% of my fishing is from boat. 10% from ponds that are in my neighborhood. 3. What kind of vehicle do you take when you go fishing? Jeep Commander. 4. How many trips does it usaully take to get to your fishing spot? 1 5. How long is your typical fishing outing? All Day 6. How many beverages do you typically drink during the outing? 2-3 bottles of water 7. How many fishing poles do you take for an outing? Pond fishing 1 to 3. In the boat I currently carry 12. Thanks for taking the time to do this survey. It is greatly appreciated. Your welcome.